Riot outlines VCT 2027 qualification paths, funding, tournaments

MANILA, Philippines – Riot Games revealed more details for VCT 2027, including additional qualification paths, funding support, rewards, and regional tournaments.

12 Teams for Kickoffs

Kickoffs in VCT Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Pacific will now include 12 teams composed of eight partnered teams and four teams from open qualifiers.

The top three teams from each Kickoff will qualify directly to the first Masters tournament.

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This means that partner teams and open qualifier teams will gain equal opportunities to enter Masters.

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The new pathway replaces the current model, wherein two teams qualified for Kickoffs through Challengers and Ascension.

Higher stakes for partner teams

Partner teams, however, will need to consistently place high in tournaments and in Masters. If they fail to place, the partner teams will need to earn their way back through an Open Playoffs.

If partner teams get eliminated in the Open Playoffs, they will need to climb through the Open Qualifiers.

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Meanwhile, South Asia and Oceania may enter through the Pacific Wild Card.

Regional competitions

14 regional competitions spanning through the four regions were also announced.

Under VCT Americas: North America, LATAM North, Latam South, and Brazil. In VCT EMEA, Europe, Turkiye, and MENA.

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Then in VCT Pacific: South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. A Wild Card for VCT Pacific will be open to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and the rest of SEA.

VCT China will be utilizing its own system for Kickoffs to include eight partner teams, two visitor teams, and two Open Qualifier teams.

Financial support for non-partner teams

Riot Games introduced a fixed payout system for non-partner teams for the first time.

Teams that qualify for Kickoff or a Cup will earn USD $100,000. Qualifying for Masters will be USD $200,000, and those that qualify for Champions will receive $400,000.

Non-partner teams will also receive travel support and other ecosystem incentives.

“VCT 2027 is built around a simple belief: the best teams should earn their place every step of the way and every match matters. We wanted to create a system that rewards performance, opens more opportunities for teams around the world, and makes every match feel meaningful,” said Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports, Riot Games in a press release.

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“By creating more paths into top-level competition and providing meaningful financial support for teams that qualify, we’re building a more open, engaging, and competitive future for VALORANT Esports. One where any team can rise, every event matters, and fans have more reasons to follow the journey from local competition all the way to Champions.”